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| Kentucky State Police Increasing Patrols During Thanksgiving Holiday 11-22-04
(FRANKFORT, Ky.) -As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, increased highway traffic is expected throughout the commonwealth. In an effort to save lives, the Kentucky State Police will be increasing its road patrols and operating safety checkpoints statewide beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24 and ending at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 28. "Through Nov. 21, Kentucky has recorded 846 highway fatalities in 2004," reports Kentucky State Police Commissioner Mark Miller, "That's eight more than last year at this time." During the four-day 2003 Thanksgiving holiday period, 11 people died in 11 separate crashes on Kentucky roadways. One of the crashes involved alcohol and eight of the victims were not using seat belts. "In order to reduce these needless deaths, we're urging motorists to slow down and use courtesy when travelling on the state's roadways," says Kentucky State Police Commissioner Mark Miller. "Allow additional time to arrive at your destination, buckle up and use adult and child safety restraint devices." As part of their increased activities, the Kentucky State Police will also be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort). This nationwide program works to reduce crashes on interstate highways and parkways by concentrating on the three key causes of traffic fatalities: speeding, impaired driving and failure to use occupant restraints. "Troopers will be coordinating enforcement activities with local police and sheriff's offices," explains Lt. Col. Dean Hayes, director of the KSP Operations Division. "They'll also be using video equipment and passive alcohol sensors to assist their efforts to combat alcohol-impaired driving." Kentucky has a zero tolerance policy regarding driving while impaired by alcohol. Operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .08 will result in an immediate arrest even for first time offenders, says KSP Capt. Lisa Rudzinski, commander of the Governor's Highway Safety Program. Kentucky law makes the driver responsible for assuring that all occupants in their vehicle are properly restrained. "A citation may be issued only if a motorist is stopped for reasons other than violation of the seat belt law," says Rudzinski. "However, no warnings will be issued to drivers found not wearing a safety belt as a secondary violation. They will receive a citation." "In 2003, 66 percent of the highway fatalities in Kentucky were not using seat belts. Protecting yourself, your children and your passengers is your responsibility and it's law enforcement's duty," she adds. According to Kentucky law, all children 40 inches in height or less, must be buckled into a child safety restraint seat that meets federal standards. Children over 40 inches tall must wear a seat belt. Violation of this law will result in a $50.00 fine with an additional $10.00 fine donated to the Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund. Motorists should be aware that the back seat is the safest place for children to sit, especially in vehicles equipped with passenger-side air bags. Infants and toddlers should never ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger-side air bag. Parents should always be sure that their child's safety seat has been properly installed in the vehicle according to the manufacturer's instructions. To help keep traffic within posted speed limits, troopers will also be operating in special laser speed enforcement teams. While many drivers don't consider speeding to be as risky as impaired driving or not wearing seat belts, studies show that higher travel speeds are responsible for a significant increase in highway traffic deaths. "Speeding reduces a driver's ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway. It extends the distance required to stop a vehicle and increases the distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a dangerous situation," says Rudzinski. Motorists should also remember that Kentucky law requires them to slow down and use caution when they see a law enforcement or emergency vehicle stopped alongside the road with its lights flashing. They must move over to the lane farthest away from the vehicle if they are on a two-lane road and can do so safely. "Highway traffic fatalities are not just statistics, they represent human lives and potentials," observes Miller. "The needless loss of even one life is a tragedy. We can and must do better. By paying more attention to our driving behaviors and using existing safety equipment, everyone can help reduce crashes and save lives. We can make a difference." Citizens can contribute to highway safety during the holiday period by reporting erratic, impaired or speeding drivers to the KSP toll-free hotline at 1-800-222-5555. Signs that a driver might be impaired include weaving, swerving, drifting or straddling the center line; driving on the wrong side of the road; driving at inconsistent speeds; stopping without cause or braking erratically; ignoring or responding slowly to traffic lights; driving too close to curbs and driving at night with no lights. Callers will remain anonymous and should give a description of the vehicle, location, direction of travel and license number, if possible. MUNROE’S “REV-IT-UP FOR KIDS” CHRISTMAS RUN!!! Saturday, November 20, 2004 Noon to 3 pm at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg Registration $15 per rider/$25 for doubles; Area motorcyclists come join us for the First Annual Munroe “Rev-It-Up for KIDS” Christmas Run on Saturday, November 20, 2004 from noon to 3 pm at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg. Registration is $15. per rider or $25 for doubles. Entertainment will be provided by Munroe. A great door prize and 50/50 raffle will be at hand. Also, Munroe will lead a ride (weather permitting) that will be police escorted through downtown Prestonsburg, Allen and Martin and return to the Mountain Arts Center. All proceeds will be distributed to area Resource Centers for needy children. Come join us for a great day of fun as well as a very worthwhile community activity. Munroe says he hopes to see you there!!! Recovery of Stolen Property ON 10-25-2004 AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 HOURS THE KENTUCKY STATE POLICE IN HAZARD ALONG WITH THE HIDTA TASK FORCE AND THE KENTUCKY STATE POLICE K-9 UNIT EXECUTED A SEARCH WARRANT AT THE RESIDENCE OF RICKY COUCH IN THE BROWNSFORK SECTION OF PERRY COUNTY. THE OFFICERS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1 POUND OF PROCESSED MARIJUANA, $1,200.00 IN CASH, A DEFACED FIREARM DURING THE SEARCH. ALSO FOUND AT THE LOCATION WAS APPROXIMATELY $50,00.00 WORTH OF STOLEN PROPERTY FROM INDIANA AND ILLINOIS. THE SEARCH CAME AS A RESULT OF TRYING TO LOCATE THE BROTHER OF RICKY COUCH, DENVER " BUTCH" COUCH. DENVER COUCH WAS POSSIBLY LIVING IN A STOLEN CAMPER WHICH WAS DISCOVERED EARLIER IN THE DAY BY DETECTIVE JOHN PRATT AND THE HIDTA TASK FORCE IN THE BIG CREEK COMMUNITY OF PERRY COUNTY. WARRANTS ARE PENDING FOR SEVERAL COUNTS OF RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY ON RICKY AND DENVER COUCH. AT THIS TIME THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING. BREATHITT JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER AWARDED NATIONAL ACCREDITATION 10-12-04 David Thomas, Chairperson of the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections (CAC), recently announced the accreditation of the Breathitt Juvenile Detention Center, Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. The award was presented in conjunction with the 134th Congress of Correction in Chicago, Illinois, on August 2, 2004. In presenting the award, David Thomas, Chairperson of the CAC, and Charles Kehoe, President of the American Correctional Association (ACA), complimented Doug Wilson, Superintendent, and his staff on their professional level of operation and their success in completing the accreditation process. The agency is one of over 1,500 correctional organizations currently involved in accreditation across the nation. The accreditation program is a professional peer review process based on national standards that have evolved since the founding of the Association in 1870. The standards were developed by national leaders from the field of corrections, law, architecture, health care, and other groups who are interested in sound correctional management. ACA standards address services, programs, and operation essential to effective correctional management. Through accreditation, an agency is able to maintain a balance between protecting the public and providing an environment that safeguards the life, health and safety of staff and offenders. Standards set by the ACA reflect practical up-to-date policies and procedures and function as a management tool for agencies and facilities throughout the world. It should be noted that of the 403 standards on which it was rated, Breathitt Regional Juvenile Detention Center received a score of 100%. Cabinet for Health and Family Services Announces Closure of Louisville Day Care FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 11, 2004) --- The Cabinet for Health and Family Services announced today the immediate suspension of Little Stars' license to operate. Little Stars is a day care facility located at 2930 Breckenridge Lane in Louisville. The cabinet's Division of Regulated Child Care within the Inspector General's Office was notified that an allegation of abuse against a child in the care of Little Stars has been substantiated by the Department for Community Based Services. The Division of Regulated Child Care and the Department for Community Based Services within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services is continuing its investigation of the incident. On November 9, 2004, the Louisville Metro Police Department arrested the co-licensee of Little Stars Day Care facility. Closure was based on the incident which constitutes an immediate threat to the health, safety, and welfare of children in the care of Little Stars. This emergency suspension shall remain in effect, pending completion of the investigation. Drug Investigation & Arrest Summary: ON 10-21-2004 THE KENTUCKY STATE POLICE, PERRY SO, HAZARD POLICE DEPARTMENT, OFFICERS FROM UNITE, AND THE HIDTA TASK FORCE EXECUTED 13 ARREST WARRANTS IN THE POST 13 AREA. THE ARREST ARE THE RESULT OF A SIX MONTH INVESTIGATION INTO THE ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING OF DRUGS IN THE AREA. AT THIS TIME THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING.Complete List Click Here Deer Become Roadway Hazards In Fall Months JACKSON, KY - (Oct. 12, 2004) - With fall comes the advent of deer mating season. The activity regarding the annual "rut," combined with pressures from deer hunters in the woods, means an increase in deer movement along the highways of the 10 counties that make up District 10 of the Department of Highways. Motorists should use caution in areas that are known deer habitats. The Transportation Cabinet has marked many known deer activity areas with "Deer Crossing" warning signs, but unfortunately deer can't read these signs and thus know where they should cross the road. Therefore, motorists should use care when driving in any wooded areas or in other locations known for deer activity, such as along stream valleys and near fields. The terrain of the region is well-suited for deer and the population has increased in recent years. Deer are now being seen in areas where they previously were scarce. One of the more unpleasant duties that Transportation Cabinet employees have is to remove dead deer from the highways. If you spot a dead deer in the traveled portion of the roadway where it creates a traffic hazard, please notify your local state highway garage of the location. Motorists should also use caution in areas where Department of Highways personnel are conducting this unpleasant but necessary activity. Remember, if you slow down and keep an eye out for deer during this most active time of the year for them, your chances for avoiding a collision are better. Both you and the deer can appreciate that! High School Students To Begin KSP Safe Driving Course On Monday 9-18-04 (Frankfort, KY) - The Kentucky State Police and the Governor's Highway Safety Program will welcome 24 students from 22 high schools throughout the Commonwealth on Monday, Sept. 20 for the beginning of the second annual "Drive To Stay Alive" teen driver safety course. The students are scheduled to arrive at the Kentucky State Police Academy (919 Versailles Road) in Frankfort between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. EDT. During this time, they will be available for interviews and photo opportunities. After orientation activities, they'll spend the rest of the day in classroom presentations and discussions. Beginning Tuesday, they'll experience three days of hands-on driving instruction at the Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. The students that will be participating in the course represent the following schools: Bath Co. High, Breathitt Co. High, Caverna High, Calloway Co. High, Christian Academy of Lawrenceburg, Christian Co. High, Clinton Co. High, Gallatin Co. High, Harrison Co. High, Johnson Central High, Madison Southern High, McCreary Central High, Monroe Co. High, Nicholas Co. High, Owen Co. High, Providence High, Pulaski Co. High, Somerset High, Shelby Co. High, Trimble Co. High, Walton-Verona High and Williamstown High. "Drive To Stay Alive" is a unique program designed to reduce the number of teenage driver injuries and deaths in Kentucky. After completing the week-long course, the students will return to their schools and partner with a local state trooper to bring the safe driving message to their fellow students and communities. Community Service Projects keep Jackson High Y-Club Busy 11-6-04 The Jackson High School Y Club has contributed many hours to community service projects this school year. The Y Club strives to perform one community service project and one school service project each month. In September the Y Club had a magazine drive for the Nim Henson Geriatric Center and the Kentucky River Medical Center. The club delivered boxes and baskets of magazines to the hospital and nursing home. The club visited the Nim Henson Geriatric Center in October. The residents and club members spent a fun morning decorating pumpkins and gourds. Prizes were given to the top three designs. The residents and club members had a great time working together. Thanks to Phillip Litteral, Administrator, Ann Hollon, Activities Director for inviting us to the center. Several Y club members participated in Trick or Treat for Canned Food which kicked off the annual food drive at Jackson City School. Club members visited their neighborhoods on Halloween and asked for a donation of food for needy families. The club members say thank you to all who donated for this cause. The Y Club has helped tiger PAWS, the former PTA at JCS, in setting up for the fall festival. Y Club members also tutor in the 21st CCLC after school program. The club is helping with decorations for the National Guard armory for the send off of the troops. The Y club is preparing to attend Kentucky Youth Assembly, a mock general assembly in Louisville and Frankfort on November 21-23. They will be presenting two bills and several members will have leadership roles in this state wide conference. The Jackson High School Y Club has received the prestigious GEORGE WILLIAMS OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD for the past two years. This award is given to the club performing the most service work in the state and is a highly competitive award. The Y Club at Jackson High is sponsored by the Family Resource Youth Services Center, Debbie Clemons, advisor. KET To Air Public Employee Health Insurance Program 10-26-04 Show Will Assist Members With Filling Out Forms For 2005 Coverage FRANKFORT - Need help filling out your 2005 Public Employee Health Insurance Application? Beginning this week, Kentucky Educational Television (KET) will be a resource to assist you. Beginning Wednesday and repeating several times on throughout the Open Enrollment period, a 30-minute informational program walking eligible participants through the application process will be aired on KET1 at the following times (all times are Eastern; all shows are closed-captioned): Wednesday, October 27 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, October 27 at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 27 at 9 p.m. Thursday, October 28 at 11:30 p.m. Friday, October 29 at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, October 30 at 10 a.m. Sunday, October 31 at 3:30 p.m. Monday, November 1 at 6 a.m. Tuesday, November 2 at noon Wednesday, November 3 at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, November 4 at 10:30 p.m. Bill Goodman, host and commentator for KET's Comment on Kentucky will host the show. Deputy Executive Director Jill Hunter from the Personnel Cabinet's Department for Employee Insurance will review key enrollment information with the audience. She will also demonstrate in detail how to complete the health insurance application. Open Enrollment for the 2005 Public Employee Health Insurance Program will continue through November 5. All employees must apply to have coverage on January 1, 2005. For details and applications, visit the Personnel Cabinet's Web site at http://personnel.ky.gov. For questions, call Member Services at 1-888-581-8834. "Put the Brakes on Fatalities in Kentucky" week deemed a success 10-25-04 Fatalities for week lowest in three years, Kentucky now running behind last year's total Frankfort, Kentucky (October 22, 2004)-Thanks to the success of the recent "Put the Brakes on Fatalities in Kentucky" week, the Bluegrass State is now running behind last year's totals for the number of fatalities on Kentucky's highways. Thanks to the public for their efforts to slow down and obey traffic laws, 17 fewer people died on Kentucky's roadways during the weeklong blitz between October 4 and 11. That is the lowest number of fatalities for that week since 2001. The number is much lower than the number of fatalities for that time period in 2003, when 28 people were killed in crashes. "While we know we have more work to do to make Kentucky's highways the safest in the nation, these numbers are encouraging," said Maxwell Clay Bailey, Secretary, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. "Our new Highway Safety Management Executive Committee hopes to build on these numbers and work together with the public through education and law enforcement to continue bringing these numbers down." As of October 21, the total number of persons killed on the state's highways stands at 744, three behind the total on the same date last year of 747 people killed in fatal crashes. Wizard Inc. & Breathitt Online News ready to unveil KY Mountain News Website Jackson, KY (10-8-04) Wizard Inc. along with Breathitt Online News is proud to announce the new website that will cover news for Lee, Owsley, Wolfe & Perry Counties. This project has been on the drawing board for several months and now looks ready to launch. "Breathitt Online News has grown by leaps and bound and now we are ready to expand into other counties", said Wizard Inc. Owner, Ron Hamblin. "We hope to provide these counties with the same effective and honest news as we have for Breathitt County these past 2 1/2 years", Hamblin stated. If anyone would like to provide articles, community news, or general information for these counties you may email KY Mountain News HERE. To view the New website and for contact information, CLICK HERE Ron Hamblin also announced Wizard Inc, & Breathitt Online News are completely upgrading the Online Gift Store. The site will be more user friendly and feature tons of gifts for friends and family just in time for the holidays. To check out the progress of the Online Gift Store, Click Here. Civil War Battle Re-enacted At Perryville 9-20-04 FRANKFORT, Ky. -- The Battle of Perryville Re-enactment, staged at Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site near Danville, draws thousands of visitors each year to gain a deeper appreciation of this critical battle. It was here that Union and Confederate forces clashed on Oct. 8, 1862. More than 7,500 soldiers were killed or wounded. At its conclusion, the South abandoned further plans to claim Kentucky as its own. The annual re-enactment is among the most popular travel events in the region. Each year, an average of 10,000 spectators travel to Perryville for the re-enactment. The event has an annual economic impact approaching $1 million, based on the typical spending of a traveler to the area. Re-enactments will be presented at 2 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 9-10. Meanwhile, throughout the weekend, guest speakers will cover a wide range of topics relating to the battle and Kentucky's role in the Civil War. Also scheduled is a cavalry saber competition, Civil War music, and a debate on Sunday between actors portraying U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, both native Kentuckians. For more information, call the park at 1-859-332-8631. Kentucky State Park System is composed of 52 state parks and historic sites plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov Are you ready for a new Wolf Laurel Ski Resort? 11-21-04 Now as you drive up the newly paved access road you might think that you have been transported to Montana when you see the new rustic log cabins, endless views of mountain peaks all around and an incredible log and timber ski lodge perched on top of the mountain looking as if it's been here for hundreds of years. Come visit the old Wolf Laurel where you learned to ski or snowboard and see how we're growing. Explore the new mountaintop ski lodge and you'll be mesmerized by the 360 degree views. This 20,000 square foot lodge offers a year round restaurant and easy access to the new ski slopes. This and other planned additions make this resort worth a visit. Wolf Laurel Ski Resort is conveniently located only 30 minutes (by freeway) from Asheville, North Carolina. Referred to as the Paris of the South in Blue Ridge Magazine, Asheville offers numerous world-class restaurants, plenty of nightlife and entertainment, shopping, the arts, and much more. Be the first to take advantage of this unique opportunity to build the slope-side home or mountain retreat of your dreams! Come home to a place where Southern hospitality, mountain culture and Canadian climate meet together at nearly 5,000 feet elevation to create a high mountain resort lifestyle with numerous outdoor recreational activities and an expanding ski resort. Cabinet Urges Kentucky Smokers to Participate in the Great American Smoke-Out on Thursday FRANKFORT, KY (Nov. 16, 2004) - They say it takes more than one day, but the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the American Cancer Society hope smokers will take advantage of this year's Great American Smoke-Out on Thursday, November 18, to quit smoking for good. Kentucky leads the nation in the number of adults who smoke, 30.8 percent, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week. The state rate for teens that smoke is 34 percent, and the percentage of women who smoke during their pregnancy is 24 percent. Kentucky has the fifth highest rate for heart disease and leads the nation in lung cancer mortality. Kentucky's annual health care costs directly caused by smoking is $1.17 billion; the portion covered by the state's Medicaid program is $380 million. Health organizations and health departments across Kentucky and the nation are gearing up for the Great American Smoke-Out, a nationally recognized event to challenge people to stop using tobacco products for the day. The event hopes to raise public awareness of the health risks of tobacco use and the many effective ways available to quit using tobacco. "Very few people quit the first time they try," said Irene Centers, Program Manager for the Kentucky Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program. "We want to encourage people to keep trying." The results of numerous surveys indicate that two thirds of all smokers say they would like to quit smoking and nearly half of all smokers try to quit smoking each year; but the addiction to nicotine is difficult to overcome. Centers said, "You don't have to quit cold turkey. People can call the quit line or join a Cooper Clayton cessation program. Addiction to nicotine is physical, mental, and emotional, and each of these aspects should be addressed to help smokers break the smoking habit." Stop smoking programs like Cooper/Clayton combine nicotine replacement therapy with behavioral modification over a 12-week period. Physicians can also provide prescription medication to help patients deal with withdrawal symptoms from nicotine. A national quit line is available to provide brief intervention when the conviction to quit waivers. A national quit line number 1-(800)-QUITNOW puts users in touch with programs that can help them give up tobacco. This toll-free number automatically routes callers to the state-run quit line. A new Health and Human Services web site, www.smokefree.gov, offers online advice and downloadable information to make cessation easier and the American Lung Association also offers a web-based smoking cessation program, Freedom from Smoking, at www.lungusa.org/ffs/index.html for individual assistance. For online information about the Cooper/Clayton Method to Stop Smoking visit www.kcr.uky.edu/kcp/cooperclayton.htm Dr. William Hacker, Acting Commissioner for the Kentucky Department for Public Health, said, "I encourage smokers to contact their local health department for a schedule of smoking cessation programs in their area. Smokers can also speak with their personal physician who can explain the health risks of smoking and the effect it is having on their health and quality of life." When you stop smoking you improve your chances for a longer and healthier life. Other benefits include: * Immediately after quitting smoking, you don't have to deal with the inconvenience of leaving your workstation, someone's home, your own home, a restaurant, or other place to smoke. * Twenty minutes after quitting smoking, your blood pressure drops to a level close to that before your last cigarette. The temperature of your hands and feet increases, returning to normal. * Eight hours after quitting smoking, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. * Twenty-four hours after quitting smoking your chances of having a heart attack decrease. * Two weeks to three months after quitting smoking, you have better circulation and your lung function increases up to 30 percent. * One to nine months after quitting smoking, coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease and your lungs state to function better, lowing your risk of lung infection. * One year after quitting smoking, you reduce your risk for heart disease by 50 percent. * A pack a day smoker who pays $2.75 per pack can expect to save over $82.00 each month and nearly $1,000 a year. * When you stop smoking you reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and lung diseases like emphysema or bronchitis, and reduce wrinkling and aging of the skin and eyes. * When you quit smoking, you set a good example for your children to follow. New research shows that parents who quit while their kids are young reduce the chances that their children will become smokers themselves. Health departments across Kentucky are planning Great American Smoke-Out activities to help motivate smokers quit. "We hope people will contact their local health department to find out what is happening in their area," said Centers. "The Smoke-Out offers public support and a feeling of camaraderie with others who are trying to give up cigarettes." Historically, more Americans try to quit smoking on this day than any other day of the year, including New Year's Day. The Great American Smoke-Out is a national campaign initiated by the American Cancer Society in 1977 to draw attention to the health risks of tobacco use and secondhand smoke. KENTUCKY VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS RECOVER STOLEN COMPUTERS $225,000 Worth of Modems, Monitors, and Printers Found 11-8-04 (Frankfort, KY) - Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement Officers have recovered $225,000 worth of stolen computer equipment. The items were found during a safety inspection of a commercial motor vehicle. Items recovered include: -285 flat screen monitors -109 printers -Numerous boxes of modems and other computer equipment. "Our officers know what to look for out on our highways," says Greg Howard, Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement Commissioner. "They are trained how to spot illegal drugs, stolen property and other contraband while keeping our roads safe. The officers did a great job spotting this one." Officers John White and Robert Dale, made the stop on I-65 southbound near Elizabethtown. During a safety inspection, officers picked up on several irregularities in the driver's paperwork, indicating potential problems. A check with the Pewaukee, Wisconsin Police Department confirmed suspicions that the computer equipment was stolen. Rodolfo Rodriguez, 34, of Miami, was taken to the Hardin County Detention Center. He was charged with receiving stolen property and possession of burglary tools. KVE is working with federal authorities. The investigation is continuing. 2005 Public Employee Health Insurance Information, Application Now Available 10-24-04 Message To Employees: Don't Delay...Enroll Today! FRANKFORT, Ky. - State employees, teachers, school employees and retirees can now access information on the 2005 Public Employee Health Insurance Program on the Personnel Cabinet's Web site, located at http://personnel.ky.gov. Open enrollment for active employees and retirees will be October 25 through November 5. Employees and retirees are being encouraged to enroll as soon as possible - "Don't Delay...Enroll TODAY!" "Agencies across the Commonwealth are pooling their resources to make sure that all health insurance applications received by November 5 are provided to carriers by their deadline," said Personnel Cabinet Secretary Robert Ramsey. "To that end, it is critical that members of the Public Employee Health Insurance Program fill out their applications correctly, and return them to their insurance coordinator as soon as possible. Don't delay...enroll today!" Three insurance plans are available to members this year. They are: Commonwealth Essential, Commonwealth Enhanced, and Commonwealth Premier. Contributions for state agency employees and education employees are as follows: Single Family Cost Breakdown Commonwealth Enhanced Premier Essential** Enhanced Premier Employee Pays (a) $0 $18.20 $320.14 $429.24 $474.74 Annual Deductible $250 $250 $1,500 $500 $500 Office visit $10 co-pay $10 co-pay 25%* $10 co-pay $10 co-pay Diagnostic tests $10 co-pay $10 co-pay 25%* $10 co-pay $10 co-pay Hospital Services 20%* 10%* 25%* 20%* 10%* Out-of-pocket limit $1,250 $1,000 $7,000 $2,500 $2,000 Generic drugs See Forms Preventive care See Forms *Subject to deductible **Commonwealth Essential has no individual plan (a) Nonsmoking rates; smokers pay $15 more for single coverage; $30 more for family coverage Retirees and other public employees should contact their agency insurance coordinator for information specific to them. Other provisions in the 2005 plans include: Non-smokers choosing "single" coverage will receive a $15 discount on their contribution, while those choosing coverage above the "single" level will receive a $30 discount. This incentive is geared at promoting wellness among members of the program. Members waiving health insurance coverage for 2005 will have $234 per month available to be placed in a flexible spending account. Even if a member waives coverage, he or she must fill out the health insurance application and the flexible spending account application (where applicable) to receive this benefit. "Again, the key to a successful enrollment is simple," Secretary Ramsey said. "Don't delay...enroll today!" From Courier Journal by By Byron Crawford 10-8-04 Breathitt group helps cut drug overdoses Until a few months ago, Breathitt County often led Kentucky in a sad statistic: deaths due to prescription-drug overdose. Between January 2003 and May, Breathitt had 40 methadone-related overdose deaths — including 13 in December alone. "It just came to a point where we had to do something," said Ron Hamblin, editor of www.breathittonline.com in Jackson. Hamblin was among a handful of residents who held a public meeting early this year and invited anyone who wanted to talk about the county's drug problem. "Something like 150 people showed up, which was just amazing," said Karen Bunn, who would later be named chairwoman of the local anti-drug group, UNITE Coalition. Getting results County Coroner Bobby Thorpe organized a neighborhood watch program, and he and others helped U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers' office coordinate formation of a local chapter of the federally funded UNITE Coalition task force. "We were averaging one overdose a week this year — up until July when we started the program — and as of this week it's been three months since there's been an overdose death in this county," Thorpe said. "The only thing I can attribute it to is this coalition." Drug arrests have increased as more public pressure has been brought to bear on the drug issue, and Thorpe said many local doctors and pharmacists are more closely monitoring prescriptions for the synthetic narcotic methadone, which is often used to treat heroin addiction. Since the crackdown on abuse of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, trafficking in methadone has increased in many areas. From January 2003 to May, a survey of coroners indicated, nearly 350 Kentuckians died of methadone overdoses. "If you've never seen someone overdose on drugs, I hope you never have to," Thorpe said. "They foam at the mouth. It's terrible. And then you have to see families go through that trauma of losing somebody to drugs. I've had so many young kids who've had parents there dead, and they wind up finding the body." Gaining steam Support for the anti-drug movement has been growing steadily in Breathitt since coalition members have taken their message into schools, churches, private homes and the streets. Last Sunday, about 800 people from around the county of 16,000 showed up for a UNITE Coalition anti-drug march. Now there is talk of establishing a drug treatment center. "I think the public has so mistrusted elected officials for so long that they've just sat back and said for a while, `Nothing's going to change,'" Thorpe said. "But now we've got some people locally that are not afraid to tell it how it is — and more people are getting involved. "Before, they were afraid that they were going to get burned out and everything. But it's like that preacher from Clay County said at the meeting the other day — `They can't burn us all out.'" For more information on the Breathitt County Unite Coalition, check online at www.breathittunitecoalition.com. Byron Crawford's column appears on the Metro page Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You can reach him by e-mail him at bcrawford@courier-journal.com. Letter From Governor Fletcher to State Employee October 5, 2004 Dear State Employee: Over the course of the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to travel our great Commonwealth and hear firsthand many of your concerns regarding the 2005 Public Employee Health Insurance plan. Many have also e-mailed and taken the time to write letters or call my office. The frustration you feel is evident and is not unwarranted. I, too, have experienced great frustration in dealing with this problem. I care about you and your family. I hear your concerns and that is why I have called the General Assembly back to Frankfort for an extraordinary legislative session. Now is the time to deal with this health insurance crisis that has been allowed to fester for years. As a physician, I understand the need for accessible and affordable healthcare for every Kentuckian. As governor, I have come to understand the limitations the executive branch faces in the absence of a legislatively enacted budget. While many of the principles I want to include in our health insurance plans, like wellness models, preventative care and disease management programs, were included in the original plan, the administration was greatly restricted by having a limited amount of money to put toward health insurance. When my administration worked to put together next year's plan, we were essentially "hamstrung." We had no access to restricted funds or other monetary sources that would have aided us in improving the plan. Essentially, the legislature handed the administration a financial box. Inside the box was a limited amount of dedicated dollars available to be applied toward health insurance. The dollar amount was established by the legislature, which approved a specific funding level for health insurance in the House budget bills sent to the Senate in March and April of this year. While the Governor's Office does not have access to restricted funds and other accounts, the legislature does. And since it appears that any improvement in the original plan will include an infusion of additional dollars, I believe it was in the best interest of every teacher, bus driver, cafeteria worker, and state employee to bring the General Assembly back in to help deal with the problem. While the General Assembly has the flexibility to address this issue, there will be no easy solutions. After all, additional tax dollars spent for public employee health insurance plans means the legislature has fewer tax dollars to spend on other necessary services that citizens around our great Commonwealth rely upon every single day. As it turns out, we were facing nearly a $1 billion price tag for health insurance had we not changed the plan. It was simply an unsustainable mess. There were few incentives to encourage wellness. No rewards for making healthy choices and few initiatives to deal with disease managements or early detection were available. It is for these reasons that it is crucial we adopt a new strategy and focus for dealing with public employee health insurance. While most of the conversation now centers on the legislature and its financial flexibility, at some point the focus has to shift to health and wellness. Unfortunately, the occurrences of serious illnesses and disease are much higher in Kentucky than in surrounding states and across the nation. We are well above regional and national averages in the numbers of prescriptions each year, occurrence of heart disease, asthma and diabetes-just to name a few. In order to get some degree of control over skyrocketing health care costs we must determine how to control what's driving the costs upward. With the legislature coming back into session, I am hopeful that we will be able to work in the spirit of bipartisanship toward a solution that will be beneficial for every teacher and state employee. You must know that I hold you and the service you provide to our Commonwealth in the highest regard. Again, let me say that I know the present circumstances are frustrating for you; they are for all of us. I look forward to the special session as we work together to provide a better health insurance product to you, our valuable teachers and state employees. Thank you for patience and understanding as we address this issue of great concern to all of us. I also want to thank you for your significant contributions to our Commonwealth. It is an honor to serve as your governor. Sincerely, Ernie Fletcher KENTUCKY STATE PARKS OCTOBER 2004 HALLOWEEN SPECIAL EVENTS Frankfort, KY (Sept. 20, 2004) As darkness falls during the month of Halloween, an eerie feeling develops on the grounds of Kentucky State Parks. Join us for this hallowed holiday and enjoy good old fashion fun with pumpkin carving, hayrides, haunted tales, and other spooky sorts. For more detailed information or a schedule of events, contact the park of you choice. Even ghost and goblins love to visit Kentucky State Parks. October 14-24 Halloween Fest X, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond. Prepare for the spookiest week ever...We will have Halloween crafts and activities, haunted mini golf, camper decoration contests, costume contest, bingo, free historic tours, ghost walks, bonfires, pumpkin express hayrides, visits to a lost pumpkin mine, trick or treating and lots more. So many activities, it takes two weekends! For registered campers only. 15-17 Halloween Spookout, Barren River Lake State Resort, Lucas. A weekend of ghoulish fun with Halloween Jingo, crafts, scavenger hunt, bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving, costume contests, trick or treating, campsite decorating contest, and a chili and potluck dinner. Camp two nights for the price of one! 15-17 Halloween Campout, Kincaid Lake State Park, Falmouth. Enjoy an old fashion chili supper on Friday night. Saturday offers a "Best Decorated" campsite contest, costume contest, games, and pumpkin carving. Prizes will be awarded to all winners. 16 Harvest of Horrors, E.P. "Sawyer" State Park, Louisville. Join the park for a night of tricks and treats. Journey on the Hayride to Nowhere and get lost in the Maze of Doom. Show your creative side in the costume and pumpkin carving contests. Throughout the night, there will be games and a magic show. The fun lasts from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. 22-23/ 29-30 Haunted Hills Hayride, Yatesville Lake State Park, Louisa. Have fun with hayrides to a haunted house; costume contests, ghost stories, and other frights along the way. Highlights of the event include psycho clowns, zombie graveyard, the Headless Horseman, and an authentic Civil War Re-Enactment. $5 admission fee. 15-16/ 22-23 Haunted Trail, Carter Caves State Resort, Olive Hill. Ghost and goblins have risen from the underground world at Carter Caves to scare you silly on these two weekends. Enjoy a spooky walk through our haunted trail and don't forget to bring your "Mummy." $5 admission fee. Trail is open 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. Haunted Trail T-shirts available for $10. 22-23 Camp Spook Night, Levi Jackson State Park, London. Two fun-filled days of fall activities including a chili supper, games, contests, crafts, trick or treating, hayride and a haunted house. Awards will be given for the best decorated campsites. 23 Little Spooky Spooks, Kenlake State Resort, Hardin. Dress up in your costume and come join us as we celebrate Halloween early! Make a unique craft, see some spooky animals, and listen to our storyteller weave spooky tales. Lots of candy and refreshments will be available along with some great prizes. Chili and hotdogs will be served from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. All ages welcome! $5 admission fee for festival activities, including chili and hotdogs. $3 for the festival only. Spooktacular Walk - again this year we will have our haunted hallway with added trail section! Guaranteed to scare even the biggest of fans! $2 admission fee, Family Pass for $5, or UNLIMITED trips for $4 each. Walk will run from 6:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. 24-25/ 29-30 Ghouls & Goblins Weekend, Greenbo Lake State Resort, Greenup. Pumpkin carving, campsite to campsite trick or treating, scavenger hunt, cake walk, treasure hunt, costume contests for children and pets, ghoulish games and more. Prizes for best-decorated sites. Free chili dinner 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday night, Oct. 24. Free hot dog and marshmallow roast on Friday night, Oct. 29. All activities take place in the campground. Haunted Trail - $4 admission fee. Trail runs from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. Trail includes hayride, scary sites, and a hallowing experience. Concession stand will be selling hot chocolate and caramel apples. 25-31 Halloween Week, Big Bone Lick State Park, Union. A week of spooktacular fun with crafts, campsite decorating, music, trick or treating, midnight trail hikes, scary stories, and a Monster Bash. 29-30 "Masquerade" Weekend, Buckhorn Lake State Resort, Buckhorn. This weekend offers ghostly fun for the whole family with a costume contest, hayrides, caramel apples, ghost stories, and a haunted house. Package price available if staying at the lodge. 29-30 Haunted Hayride & Trail, Rough River Dam State Resort, Falls of the Rough. Meet at the lodge and take a hayride to the haunted trail! There, you will be guided through our trail of horrors! 29-31 Halloween Campout, Carter Caves State Resort, Olive Hill. Pumpkin carving, apple bobbin' and Halloween crafts top off the fun. Camp one night and the second night is free! Ghost Stories from a Cave Saturday night, Oct. 30. Imagine yourself encased in total darkness with only the sounds of bats flying through the air. Sounds like a perfect place to spend your Halloween evening. Bring a chair and your imagination. $2 admission fee. 29-31 Halloween Family Fun Weekend, General Butler State Resort, Carrollton. Who is afraid of the dark? Do you have a brave soul? If you answered yes to these questions, then spend a fun, haunting weekend with us. Our fright fest fun will include some ghoulish games, creepy fingers pottery workshop, trick or treating in the campground, hayrides, haunted train rides, and mummy mini golf, plus many other activities for those daring enough to visit us! 30-31 Halloween Campout, Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort, Mount Olivet. This weekend will feature contests, storytelling, haunted trail walks, and spooky mini golf. Soup supper and costume competition, trick or treating and campsite decorating make this weekend a "treat" for the whole family. PHOTO HERE Need an idea for Christmas gifts? 11-16-04 The Greater Hazard Area Performing Arts Series has two great ideas for Christmas gifts this year. Buy that special person a ticket to attend one or two of the performances coming up in early 2005—“Red, Hot ‘n’ Bluegrass” presented by the North Carolina dance theatre on Friday, Jan. 28, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. at The Forum, Hal Rogers Center in Hazard. Admission: Adults-$16, Students- $8 (6-18 yrs.), age 5 and under free. The second great gift idea is to see the Four Tops on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2005 at 7:30 p.m., also at The Forum, Hal Rogers Center, Admission: Adults-$30, Students-$15 (6-18 yrs.), age 5 & under free. The North Carolina Dance Theatre’s (NCDT) breathtaking beauty, boundless energy, and amazing athleticism have dazzled audiences the world over and brought critical acclaim in such cities as New York, London, Rome, Atlanta and Miami. Critics and theater-goers alike have hailed this troupe as “…performers of stunning versatility and dramatic power.” –Dance Magazine. “Red, Hot ‘N’ Bluegrass” is dance, down-home style. The repertory program consists of Alvin Ailey’s inspiring choreography of “The River” set to an original score by Duke Ellington. “The River” is filled with stunning tableaux. The sections, with titles like “Meander” and “Falls” evoke in sound and movement the water’s course. The second piece in the program is Nicolo Fonte’s daring “Brave!” about emotional courage, and ends with jubilance in Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s “Shindig’ featuring live music provided by the bluegrass band, The Greasy Beans from Asheville, NC. This particular piece intersperses square-dance ensemble patterns with playful flirtatious solos and duets grounded in rigorous classical ballet with the women on pointe. They will also perform a school program and/or master class. The Greasy Beans will also be available to conduct a music workshop for the community. The Four Tops have been marveling audiences with their infectious blend of pure vocal power and sweet harmonies since 1954. After a brief stint with Chess Records in the late ‘50s and Columbia Records in the early ‘60s the group was introduced to Berry Gordy, who signed them to his new label, Motown Records. The rest is history. Hit after hit followed, starting in 1964 with “Baby I Need Your Loving,” and continuing with songs like, “Reach Out, I’ll Be There,” “Standing In The Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette,” and “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).” Motown celebrated its 45th Anniversary with the ABC produced television special which featured The Four Tops, who celebrated their 45th Anniversary in 1999, something that is unmatched by any other group. Don’t miss this very special Valentine’s Day Concert! Sponsors for Red, Hot ‘n’ Bluegrass are Hazard Lions Club, First Federal Savings and Loan, and My Favorite Things. This performance is also funded, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Southern Arts Federation and the Kentucky Arts Council, a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet Sponsors for the Four Tops are Community Trust Bank, Bank of Hindman, and Peoples Bank and Trust Company. Series Grand Benefactors that are underwriting the season are Citizens Bank of Jackson, Hazard Clinic/Jackson Clinic, Kiwanis Club of Hazard, and Perry Distributing, Inc. Partial funding for the arts series has also been provided by the Kentucky Arts Council, a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. For tickets or information about these performances, contact Tammy Duff, performing arts series director, 487-3067 or Sandy Campbell at 487-3070 or 800-246-7521 exts. 73067 or 73070. Woman Dies at Breathitt County Jail 11-3-04 Jackson, Ky At 7:05 am, November 3rd, 2004, the Breathitt County Coroners office received a call concerning a possible death at the Breathitt County Jail. Upon arrival, the Breathitt County Coroner, found 35 year old, Shelia Willoughby, of Jackson, non responsive. Mrs. Willoughby was pronounced dead at 7:25am, by Breathitt County Coroner, Bobby Thorpe Jr. Mrs. Willoughby was transported to Frankfort. Investigation is still pending toxicology reports. Mrs. Willoughby was arrested 11-10-04 around 11:00pm, for an apparent DUI. The death is still under investigation. Permanent Job Proves An Elusive Dream By Jonathan Weisman 10-23-04 CYNTHIANA, Ky. Phillip Hicks had loaded his rusting pickup and was heading to work one afternoon last year when his tearful daughter called from a pay phone. She had been pulled over for speeding, she told her father, and worse, she was driving with a suspended license. The police had impounded her car and left her by the side of a dusty highway. To most workers at the sprawling Toyota plant where Hicks works, the detour to pick up his daughter would be a headache, no doubt. To Hicks, 40, it was considerably more. He called his employer to say he would be late for the swing shift. But since Hicks is a temporary worker, his daughter's brush with the law became a permanent blemish on an already shaky employment record. Temps are allowed only three days off a year, and Hicks was coming up against that. "They told me I had an attendance problem," he sighed wearily, his soft mountain accent revealing his roots in coal country to the east. Hicks is among the ranks of what economists call the "contingent" workforce, the vast and growing pool of workers tenuously employed in jobs that once were stable enough to support a family. In a single generation, "contingent employment arrangements" have begun to transform the world of work, not only for temp workers, but also for those in traditional jobs who are competing with a tier of employees receiving lower pay and few, if any, benefits. The rise of that workforce has become another factor undermining the type of middle-wage jobs, paying about the national average of $17 per hour and carrying health and retirement benefits, that have kept the nation's middle-class standard of living so widely available. Hicks has spent four years as a temp worker building cars for Toyota Motor Corp., making manifolds and dashboards for Camrys, Avalons and Solaras sold all over the United States. He works alongside full-fledged Toyota employees who earn twice his salary, plus health and retirement benefits. When Toyota announced it would be coming to Georgetown, Ky., in 1985, it promised to invest $800 million in the community and employ thousands, with thousands more jobs coming through its suppliers. By 1997, the plant exceeded all expectations, with 7,689 full-time workers, a payroll over $470 million, and a ripple effect creating more than 34,000 other jobs in the Bluegrass state. But by 2000, Toyota was carefully controlling any additions to the workforce. When Hicks left his family in Knott County, Ky., to seek work at the plant 140 miles away, the only door left open was through a temporary agency, Manpower Inc. At $12.60 an hour, the job would not even let him afford the $199-a-week health insurance premium for his family of five. But Hicks said Manpower assured him that after a year -- two at the outside -- he would be on Toyota's payroll, earning $24.20 an hour, with health insurance, a dental plan, retirement benefits, incentive pay, the works. "I could stand on my head for a year or two for a $20-an-hour job with benefits," he shrugged. The increasing use of temps "is part of the diminished and inferior wages and fringe benefits you see in all the new jobs that are becoming available," said William B. Gould IV, a labor law professor at Stanford University and former chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. The government does not have up-to-date figures for the size of the entire contingent workforce, which includes temps, independent contractors, on-call workers and contract company workers. In 2001, the Labor Department classified 16.2 million people -- as much as 12.1 percent of the labor force -- as contingent workers. It does track one slice of that workforce: temporary workers. Since January 2002, the nation added 369,000 temp positions, about half of the private-sector jobs created during that stretch. Temporary jobs accounted for one-third of the 96,000 jobs added to the economy in September. In 1982, there were 417,000 workers classified as temporary help. Today, there are more than 2.5 million, according to Labor Department data. That is about equal to the number of manufacturing jobs lost in the past decade. Barrie Peterson, associate director of Seton Hall University's Institute on Work in South Orange, N.J., said that as many as half of those lost manufacturing positions may have been converted to temporary employment. The change can be abrupt. At A&E Service Co., a small auto-parts assembler in Chicago, employees were told on July 15 that the firm "will no longer hold general labor employees on its payroll. All general labor employees that choose to work at A&E Service Company, LLC must be employed by Elite Staffing effective immediately." On the announcement, workers were asked to check a box accepting or declining the new temporary employment, then sign and date the form. Temps no longer fit the stereotype of the secretary filling in for a day or two. Jobs categorized as precision production, repair, craftsmanship, operations, fabrications and labor now account for 30.7 percent of all temp jobs, nudging out clerical and administrative support, which represent 29.5 percent of the temporary army. Peterson calls it "the perma-temping shell game," part of a broader effort by employers to convert sectors of their workforce to temps. Satisfaction with the arrangement varies. About 83 percent of independent contractors in the Labor Department survey said they were satisfied. By contrast, about 44 percent of temps and 52 percent of contingent workers said they were not satisfied. The impact of the temp trend on the American middle class can hardly be overstated. As the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago noted in a paper last year, temporary workers "receive much lower wages than permanent workers, although they frequently perform the same tasks as permanent staff members." An analysis by Harvard University economist Lawrence F. Katz and Princeton University economist Alan B. Krueger found that states with the highest concentration of temps experienced the lowest wage growth of the 1990s. Toyota executives say they use temporary workers as a buffer, to insulate their full-time staff from the ups and downs of consumer demand. Since it opened in 1988, through two recessions, the Georgetown plant has never laid off an employee, said Daniel Sieger, manager of media relations for Toyota Motor Manufacturing in North America. Even without layoffs, however, the plant's full-time staff has declined by 706 positions from the 7,787 employees it had in 2000, according to Toyota. Over that time, the temp workforce dipped from 409 in 2000 to 301 in 2002, then rose to 425 late this summer. Toyota managers say they will try to hire all of their long-term temporaries by the end of the year or in early 2005, after they see how many Toyota workers accept an early retirement package. Forty-seven temps were hired in late September. The management move came after The Washington Post spent a week in Kentucky examining the temporary employment issue at the Georgetown plant. Before September's hires, it had been two years since the plant hired a full-time "team member," Toyota managers said, a period during which the plant shed 240 full-time positions. Temporary employment during that time rose by 124. "Certainly the long-term temporary issue is one that we regret," said Pete Gritton, the plant's vice president of administration and human relations. "We never intended to have those people in here for four years or whatever as temporary." Temporary employment is an increasingly important issue for unions. The expansive labor contract reached between the United Auto Workers and Ford Motor Co. in September 2003 includes six pages of rules governing the use of temps. Under the agreement, Ford can bring on a temporary worker for a maximum of 89 days, after which the worker must be hired or dismissed. Most temps can only work two days a week, as well as "premium" days such as holidays. Just 62 miles west of the Toyota plant, the UAW made a stand at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant, refusing even to countenance 89-day temps. "It's a big, big deal," said Mike Stewart, the UAW's building chairman at the plant in Louisville. "Any time you get this kind of [compensation] divide, it just means less people making less money who can't afford your product. We will always keep temps to a minimum." The use of temporary workers appears to be most pervasive in plants owned by foreign companies, which tend to locate in states where laws make union organizing difficult, said Susan N. Houseman, a researcher at the independent W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in Kalamazoo, Mich. One Japanese auto parts plant estimated that a 5 percentage point reduction in the share of temps in the workforce would increase total labor costs by $1 million over a year, an Upjohn study found. At BMW's auto plant near Greenville, S.C., about 175 temporary workers supplement a production workforce of 3,500, keeping the assembly line churning out Z-4 roadsters and X-5 sport utility vehicles for the U.S. and global market through lunch hour and break times, said Robert M. Hitt, a spokesman for BMW Manufacturing. At Faurecia S.A., a BMW supplier in nearby Fountain Inn, S.C., about a third of the workers making door panels, consoles and dashboards for the Z-4 are temps, said Campbell Manning of Palmetto Staffing Group Inc., the temporary employment agency that staffs the French auto parts supplier. "They don't hire permanent," she said. "After 90 working days, they used to roll onto the payroll. Now they just keep them as long-term temps." Palmetto Staffing charges Faurecia a flat $12-an-hour for each of its temps. If Faurecia hired its own permanent workers, expenses for workers compensation insurance, unemployment insurance and other demands would add $4 to $5 onto a $9-an-hour wage. Benefits would add more. Even the temps cannot argue with the logic of hiring a lower-cost workforce. "I don't really blame Toyota," said Roy Biddle, who went to work at the Georgetown plant at the same time Phil Hicks did, nearly four years ago, with similar assurances that he would land a full-time job after a year. "The law's the law, and they're just doing what they can do under the law." To temper expectations, Toyota last year implemented a new policy capping temporary employment at two years. After that period, workers must leave, but can reapply in six months. If hired again, a worker starts at the entry wage of $12.60 an hour, compared with more than $14 per hour if they have been there for a few years. About 160 long-term temporaries, like Biddle and Hicks, were grandfathered in and allowed to stay indefinitely. Nancy Johnson, director of the Center for Labor Education and Research at the University of Kentucky, said that because of the new policy, temps now cycle from one plant to another, working at Toyota, then at nearby E.D. Bullard Co., making fire helmets, then perhaps at an auto parts supplier before heading back to Toyota. At the Kentucky State Cabinet for Health and Family Services' community office in Georgetown, social workers say more Toyota temps are applying for state aid to cover food costs and medical bills. "It's the traditional Japanese model that people talked about in the '80s," Johnson said. "Toyota never lays people off, sure, but the temps are absorbing the financial swings of all these companies, and they're doing it at a price." Rick Hesterberg, a plant spokesman, noted that $12 to $14 an hour in central Kentucky compares favorably to wages even for some permanent jobs. "These people still make good money," he said of the temps. "It's nothing to snuff your nose at, at least in this part of the country." But many Toyota temps say their problems go beyond money. Indeed, life seems always on the edge of disaster, where even rewards -- the small gift bag of cookie cutters or the "Star Performer" T-shirts that are given out to temps -- seem more like petty humiliations. In February, a Toyota temp posted an anonymous "discussion" paper in the assembly-line men's rooms, pleading "the 'E' word, 'E' for exploitation." "There are temps at [Toyota] who have been here for 3 years, some approaching 4 years, many waiting for the permanent job offer," the essay reads. Toyota "is exploiting their patience, their economic status, their work ethic, their work contribution, their reliability, their health, their safety." Chris, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, once interned at Toyota during college, doing computer-aided design and drafting. He spoke on condition that his last name would not be used. Even with a degree and an internship on his résumé, he, too, was steered to Manpower as the only door into Toyota. But unlike the other temps, he figured his temporary stint would quickly lead not just to the factory floor, but to the white-collar suites. Now, after four years, he frets that his wife wants a second child but he's not sure how they'll pay for the insurance. "These people are making extreme sacrifices, working second shift, no benefits, low pay," fumed Matt Roberts, 31, a full-time Toyota worker since 1997. "It's a disgrace to the American dream. That's what it is." For years, the United Auto Workers has tried to unionize the Toyota plant, to no avail. Recently, the use of temps has become a major issue. For full-time workers, the temps present a quandary. On the one hand, the full-time workers may see the temps as Toyota does, a buffer protecting their jobs. The more low-paid workers there are at the plant, the more profitable the company will be, and the less likely to resort to layoffs, suggested David Cole, director of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. A union might threaten that buffer by demanding that temps be brought on full-time or dismissed. "The temps may help keep the union out," Cole said. "It's in the selfish, vested interest of the full-time workers to keep more temps." But some Toyota workers do not see it that way. Several full-time employees said the growing presence of temps at the plant is holding back their wage gains, while limiting their movement in the plant. Some employees say they have been stuck working nights because any open day-shift positions are quickly filled by temps. "If you break down, they've got a new guy waiting at the door," said Roberts, who with his wife, another Toyota worker, clears a six-figure income. "You're creating a tug of war. There's no protection for either side." In Georgetown, the divisions can show up in strange, some say demoralizing, ways. Toyota is famous for the "kaizen" -- continuous improvement -- checks that it pays to workers who come up with suggestions that save money. Earlier this year, Hicks and Chris helped devise a change that cut two jobs from their small quadrant of the assembly line. The change meant more work for everyone, but it was more efficient. Toyota rewarded the idea by sending out $500 checks to every member of the team, every full-time member, that is. The two temps who came up with the suggestion got nothing. Their group leader did feel bad. He gave each of them a $25 gift certificate to the Toyota company store. Then a full-time worker slipped them both $50. "You guys got us this money," Chris recalled him saying. "Sorry I can't give you more." Visit washingtonpost.com today Only KY Could get this award and be Proud of it State Food Stamps Program earns $1.9 million high performance bonus FRANKFORT, KY (Sept. 30, 2004) -- Kentucky was recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for outstanding administration of its Food Stamps Program and will receive a high-performance bonus award of nearly $2 million. Governor Ernie Fletcher was notified this week that Kentucky is one of six states to earn a high performance bonus for timely and efficient processing of food stamps applications. Nearly all, 98.24 percent, of the food stamps applications submitted to the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) were processed within the USDA's timeliness guidelines. The USDA established a 30-day standard for providing eligible households the opportunity to participate in the Food Stamps Program. Kentucky's bonus was based on its high rate of compliance with the 30-day standard. Dr. James Holsinger, Jr., Secretary of CHFS, said the bonus rewards exemplary service and dedication on the part of cabinet employees in the Food Stamps program. "Our workers daily ensure delivery of quality service to clients and responsible stewardship of tax dollars," he said. "This bonus is a reflection of their dedication." "We are delighted to receive this performance bonus, not only for its financial benefit to the program, but also because it means eligible, low-income families are receiving benefits without undue delays," said CHFS Undersecretary for Children and Family Services Gene Foster. There are 526,693 food stamp recipients in Kentucky. Six million dollars was divided among the six states with the highest percentage of timely processed applications. Among the six states receiving bonus awards for timely processing of food stamps applications, Kentucky was ranked first. States receiving bonuses and the amount of their bonuses are: Kentucky: $1,948,771.82 Oklahoma: $1,421,687.07 Massachusetts: $1,257,395.97 West Virginia: $979,960.06 New Hampshire: $206,004.26 South Dakota: $186,180.82 Unemployment rates down in 97 counties from April 2003 to April 2004 Breathitt Climbs to number 8 FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 3, 2004) - Unemployment rates fell in 97 Kentucky counties between April 2003 and April 2004, rose in 20 and remained the same in Ballard, Boone and Lawrence counties, according to the Kentucky Department for Employment Services in the Education Cabinet. In April 2004, six counties had jobless rates at or above 10 percent, and 17 counties recorded double-digit rates in April 2003. Metcalfe County's 2.3 percent jobless rate was the lowest in the commonwealth. Magoffin County recorded the state's highest unemployment rate - 15.1 percent. It was followed by Elliott County, 13 percent; Carter County, 12.3 percent; Lewis County, 11.9 percent; Fulton County, 10.7 percent; Morgan County, 9.2 percent; Ballard and Breathitt counties, 9 percent each; Breathitt Coalition on Drugs Elects Officers 3-25-04 Jackson, Ky The Breathitt Coailition in a joint effort with Operation UNITE, have elected their new officers. Elected as ChairPerson, was Rose Wolfe, Co ChairPerson was Karen Bunn, Secretary - Marilyn Haddix, Treasurer - Bobby Thorpe Jr., P.R. Director/Media Relations - Ron Hamblin.The next regular meeting for the coailition on drugs will be held April 6th, 2004, at the Breathitt Life Skills Center, at 6:00pm. A Dozen Rounded Up In East Kentucky Drug Bust 3-8-04 A dozen people are behind bars after a drug bust in eastern Kentucky. The roundup started around five o'clock Tuesday morning in Bell and Harlan counties. The suspects are accused of trafficking in marijuana, oxycontin and other drugs. RELAY FOR LIFE OF BREATHITT COUNTY JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER If you are interested in having a team this year at the Relay, please mark your calendar and join us at our Kick-off Meeting/Dinner on Friday, February 13, 2004 at the Lions Club Building on Quicksand Road. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. If you need additional information, please call Patty Wilder at (606) 295-4000 or (606) 398-7000. Neighborhood Watch Meeting a Success 1-13-04 Jackson, Ky Breathitt County coroner Bobby Thorpe Jr. Held the 1st, of what is hoped to be many, neighborhood watch meeting. Mr. Thorpe handed out information on how to get these groups started. Alot of discussion involving the terrible situation this county has gotten due to drugs. Also discussed was the link between drugs and crimes. Mr. Thorpe discussed the alarmingly high rate of drug related deaths in Breathitt County. Rose Wolfe, noted that she was informed at a recent meeting that, per capita, Breathitt had the highest Over dose rate in the state of Kentucky. With this goes an unemployment rate that has remained in the top 10 in worst unemployment for this county. It is hard to attract any new businesses when you lead the state in drug Over doses. It was of a general agreement from those who attended that it is time to take back our communities. Photos Here |